A long path into minimalism and a big move
I am going through a big change right now!
I will be moving abroad next month (in 23 days to be exact) and I’ve been evaluating my possessions and minimizing since 2015. By then, I just wanted to live more intentionally and get rid of excess stuff. I wanted to travel light, with only a carry-on. I wanted to have a capsule wardrobe so that I needn’t waste time deciding what to wear in the morning.
These are all normal things everybody desires when they discover intentional living or minimalism.
I’ve read more than a dozen books about this topic since 2015.
I've read countless blog posts and articles about living with less, wasting less and choosing to own only the essential.
I started meditating in the mornings.
I started practicing yoga.
I've sold almost all my physical books, I've sold all my CD's, I donated clothes, shoes, towels, magazines, pens, notebooks.
I've scanned all the print photos I still had with me and recycled them. It was a huge pile!
I did the Minimalism Game for two consecutive months and got rid of 902 items in 59 days (February and March, 2017).
And I wondered if that was enough. Deep inside I felt that I wasn’t touching the surface of being really intentional. I felt all the benefits though. I am a much happier person. I have less anxiety, less stress. I remember to breath deeply in the middle of the day. I can focus.
Now, due to our future big move overseas, I started to sell and donate things that I thought were essential to me. As I am getting rid of furniture, electronics and even domestic appliances I am realizing that these things are not so essential after all.
This month I am selling big things. An office cabinet. A drawer cabinet. A sofa-bed that was “just in case we had visitors”. A kitchen mixer. A blender. A high quality office chair. All these items were in my daily routine (except the sofa-bed, which was really a “Just In Case”). They were essential to me! But after not having them at my disposal, I noticed I can live without them. It's not that bad!